Went and test drove an '08 93 2.0T and a '06 2.8T Aero today. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between the 4 and 6 cyl. Neither one had catastrophic torque steer (may be a good thing). and neither left rubber in 2nd. The 2.0 actually had a more audible blow-off "pcheee". Clutch pedal in both felt so very vague. After my trip to the dealer, I think I'll be keeping my OG 93 Viggen. What do you all think? I think the 3 years no cost maint. would be nice, but I'm the if it ain't broke, convince yourself it could be better type. Again, not a soapbox Viggen owner, I just want some insight before I possibly drop the hammer.
New 93 vs. (modded) Viggen
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The handling is far superior on the new cars and the lack of tq steer is nice. They are also very clean looking for a sedan.
But there is plenty about them that I am not a big fan of. I would replace our 04' in a heartbeat with an 08', but Saab does not make anything I would replace the Viggen with. The closest thing would be a black or blue 9-5 Aero wagon 5mt with vented seats that I would build the hell out of
But there is plenty about them that I am not a big fan of. I would replace our 04' in a heartbeat with an 08', but Saab does not make anything I would replace the Viggen with. The closest thing would be a black or blue 9-5 Aero wagon 5mt with vented seats that I would build the hell out of
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My only complaints after a week with my new 9-3 is the clutch. It's got such a long throw it's unbelievable. I know the Viggen's is really short, but I have never driven a car with as long a clutch pedal throw as these.
They're a touch down on power from the stock Viggen, but it's far more controlled, and as Jameson said the platform is lightyears ahead of the previous 9-3. It doesn't feel like it's as quick as it actually is. It's very smooth, there's no wall of torque, so that might be why it feels different. It can grab rubber on a shift but no, it won't break the tires loose.
I don't regret getting the new car a bit, to be honest. The Viggen is cool and unique, while I bought a regular ol' 9-3 straight off the lot, so if that's an issue for you then you may want to look for a Turbo-X down the road. The long warranty was appealing, after dumping around $3k into various issues on the Viggen this year. The interior is a lot more generic than the previous generations; for example the SID is gone, it's now a display in the speedo cluster same as most any other Euro car (which is actually safer).
At the price point they're regularly at, there's a lot of cars out there that I would look at. I bought mine because of the sick amount of rebates and incentives they had going on til the end of October. I think it's a fine car. I love the looks of it, the front end is amazing and the ice block tails provide a great contrast to the jet black paint without looking cheesy/ricey. Looks are, of course, subjective; the other cars in the segment you may cross-shop (A4, 3 series) do nothing for me personally.
It's not as much of a standout as the Viggen was, but the firm chassis, improved handling, smooth engine (with a hint of turbine whistle stock, loves it) and comfortable interior was just too tempting, especially at the $23k price I got.
They're a touch down on power from the stock Viggen, but it's far more controlled, and as Jameson said the platform is lightyears ahead of the previous 9-3. It doesn't feel like it's as quick as it actually is. It's very smooth, there's no wall of torque, so that might be why it feels different. It can grab rubber on a shift but no, it won't break the tires loose.
I don't regret getting the new car a bit, to be honest. The Viggen is cool and unique, while I bought a regular ol' 9-3 straight off the lot, so if that's an issue for you then you may want to look for a Turbo-X down the road. The long warranty was appealing, after dumping around $3k into various issues on the Viggen this year. The interior is a lot more generic than the previous generations; for example the SID is gone, it's now a display in the speedo cluster same as most any other Euro car (which is actually safer).
At the price point they're regularly at, there's a lot of cars out there that I would look at. I bought mine because of the sick amount of rebates and incentives they had going on til the end of October. I think it's a fine car. I love the looks of it, the front end is amazing and the ice block tails provide a great contrast to the jet black paint without looking cheesy/ricey. Looks are, of course, subjective; the other cars in the segment you may cross-shop (A4, 3 series) do nothing for me personally.
It's not as much of a standout as the Viggen was, but the firm chassis, improved handling, smooth engine (with a hint of turbine whistle stock, loves it) and comfortable interior was just too tempting, especially at the $23k price I got.
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4,853 Posts
depends on what you want.
viggen:
unique
hatch
better tuning options
better iterior
New 9-3
handsome sedan, but not a saab hatch
superior handling/platform/technology
not as many tuning options as viggen yet.
much more "bland" (lacks the saab quarkyness)
viggen:
unique
hatch
better tuning options
better iterior
New 9-3
handsome sedan, but not a saab hatch
superior handling/platform/technology
not as many tuning options as viggen yet.
much more "bland" (lacks the saab quarkyness)
I feel your pain Voodoo ($3k in repairs, gasp). Yeah, the 3 years no cost maintenance would be nice. I JUST missed out on the owner loyalty bonus and for what the monthly payment would be, I guess i'll just keep dumping money into an almost 9 year old car. Again, Voodoo, sweet ride.
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861 Posts
Holy crap I hope they let go of them. They've already managed to ruin everything that they are in the past few years.That, and we'll see how much longer GM keeps Saab.... I've heard bad things
sorry for double post.
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3,658 Posts
It's not on par with any OG 9-3. Not even close!
X2, esepecially an OG vert compared to an NG/SS sedan.
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9,197 Posts
I don't know why you have the opinion you do of the V6T Aero's.
I just test drove one this weekend and loved it. The 6spd manual is great. I liked where it kept the power band at during downshifts. I do now understand about the vague shifter feel and that it needs improvment but I didn't find it that bad.
Compared to my stage 3 99 9-3 they are the same power output but the v6 comes on earlier and smoother with the torque. The 6spd also allows the gears to take advantage of the torque and it felt like it made the sprint much quicker to a nice 80+ speed.
I preferred the clutch feel in the 9-3ss to that of my og9-3. Even after a rebleed my og9-3 is still way down on the floor. I've got a new master cylinder for it but haven't had the time to put it in. My clutch is only a year old and is a viggen disk/pp with spec flywheel combo. After I got used to the pedal on the SS with its engagement feel right as you push in I was off and preferred it completely to my current 9-3.
For me the test drive sold the car on the spot. I'm getting a 9-3 sport combi aero as soon as I can afford one reasonbly after graduation. Lauren also approved of the car so the fact that I got the Mrs. approval during the test drive makes it even easier. My son was laughing to during the test drive.
I just test drove one this weekend and loved it. The 6spd manual is great. I liked where it kept the power band at during downshifts. I do now understand about the vague shifter feel and that it needs improvment but I didn't find it that bad.
Compared to my stage 3 99 9-3 they are the same power output but the v6 comes on earlier and smoother with the torque. The 6spd also allows the gears to take advantage of the torque and it felt like it made the sprint much quicker to a nice 80+ speed.
I preferred the clutch feel in the 9-3ss to that of my og9-3. Even after a rebleed my og9-3 is still way down on the floor. I've got a new master cylinder for it but haven't had the time to put it in. My clutch is only a year old and is a viggen disk/pp with spec flywheel combo. After I got used to the pedal on the SS with its engagement feel right as you push in I was off and preferred it completely to my current 9-3.
For me the test drive sold the car on the spot. I'm getting a 9-3 sport combi aero as soon as I can afford one reasonbly after graduation. Lauren also approved of the car so the fact that I got the Mrs. approval during the test drive makes it even easier. My son was laughing to during the test drive.
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1,200 Posts
Oh I woulda loved a 2.8 Aero but that just wasn't in the budget for me. I don't find the regular sedan bland at all, but to each their own I guess. It's definitely not the hatchback, and it's still quite lame that they don't have one in the line-up but it wasn't a deal breaker for me (and I don't care for the sportcombi after I looked at it, I'm just not a wagon kinda guy).
There is no comparison between the og9-3 and the 9-3SS in terms of handling. It's night and day. This car feels so planted and stable, even when I didn't have a bad ball joint on the Viggen on it's best day with summer tires it could not handle like this car does. Whatever they did to minimize torque steer and allow the car to put power to the ground is impressive as hell, I can romp on it through a tight corner and it won't get away from me in the slightest, yet keeps going. It's a very impressive platform.
The 9-3SS doesn't feel as unique as the Viggen. I wouldn't say the interior is better on the og9-3, just different and more "normal" (I personally like the new interior well enough, just not as much as I liked the CTS that I also was contemplating). Nick's shop sells those PPC upgrades for the T8 that are good for like 260hp without exhaust, that's more than enough power for most people (hell the 210 has 230ft-lbs of torque, more than enough to fling your ass and get you in trouble).
The way I decided to get the new car was based on how much I was paying a month, plus how much it cost me to repair the car over the last year. It ends up being about the same as the new car payment, so for me I decided it was time for a new car. I miss the uniqueness of the Viggen (and it did have better seats), but I personally am really happy with the new 9-3 and don't regret my decision in the slightest.
There is no comparison between the og9-3 and the 9-3SS in terms of handling. It's night and day. This car feels so planted and stable, even when I didn't have a bad ball joint on the Viggen on it's best day with summer tires it could not handle like this car does. Whatever they did to minimize torque steer and allow the car to put power to the ground is impressive as hell, I can romp on it through a tight corner and it won't get away from me in the slightest, yet keeps going. It's a very impressive platform.
The 9-3SS doesn't feel as unique as the Viggen. I wouldn't say the interior is better on the og9-3, just different and more "normal" (I personally like the new interior well enough, just not as much as I liked the CTS that I also was contemplating). Nick's shop sells those PPC upgrades for the T8 that are good for like 260hp without exhaust, that's more than enough power for most people (hell the 210 has 230ft-lbs of torque, more than enough to fling your ass and get you in trouble).
The way I decided to get the new car was based on how much I was paying a month, plus how much it cost me to repair the car over the last year. It ends up being about the same as the new car payment, so for me I decided it was time for a new car. I miss the uniqueness of the Viggen (and it did have better seats), but I personally am really happy with the new 9-3 and don't regret my decision in the slightest.
If its an Aurora with the 3.5 Shortstar, we got a deal. he he. I was baited in by the "owner loyalty" and zero percert financing, both were gone by the time I got there. boo. I don't mind having to fix the car here and there and buying expensive parts, I just have nowhere to do it and it's getting cold here in New England.
I did see a nice 08 at Village Saab . .. .
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258 Posts
Couldn't you do a lot of repairs for what a newer car would cost you? At the end of the day, in 3 years time, your Viggen will be worth more than an SS....any SS!
My guess is the value of SSs will really drop. Fuel costs, repair costs, and the fact that the car doesn't have much appeal to younger drivers. The latter is why I think we don't see many performance mods....the car's just to big and heavy.
I say keep the Viggen, keep it in top shape and enjoy!
Fuel Costs???
Our '04 Arc Automatic Vert gets around 30mpg Average.
Repair Costs??
95K with minimal repairs. 1 set of Brakes, 2 sets of tires, a couple serp belts ($15/ea), 2 sets of spark plugs ($16/set), and of course oil changes every 5k...
Lack of appeal to younger drivers?
Are you serious? I'm in the younger 20s demographic and all of my friends love our Saab and want one similar... It's sleek, sporty, and has some up and go...
I'm definetly keeping the Viggen. Sales tax on the new '08 would cost more than what I plan on spending on maintenance and upgrades. The 08-09 appealed to me (23) for exterior styling only. The peformance and interior didn't back it up. I will say that it handled much better in stock trim.
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